Questar Gas Line Replacement

by Alison ButzApril 18, 2013

4/18/13 UPDATE

Questar will secure a staging area, in Swede Alley in the historic wall lot, as soon as Monday, April 22. Equipment will be moved into place and parking secured on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, Questar will begin with the removal of the asphalt for the new main line on the east side of Main Street between 4th Street and 5th Street. The removal of the asphalt will be a loud operation and should be completed by noon each day. Questar will be using flaggers in the street to facilitate vehicle traffic up and down Main Street.

The contractor will dig and fill as they go downhill and will be working in the street. Pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk would be maintained and they estimate that this would take one week to complete. We are working with them to utilize bicycle barricades to surround the project instead of orange fencing or yellow tape with cones. At this time we are trying to determine if 3 to 4 spaces on the alternate side of the street is needed to allow for traffic lanes. Deliveries and other issues are being discussed and this should be set soon.

Once the main is installed on the east side, Questar wants to connect the 9 businesses to the new main. This will require a trench (18” wide) from the street (3’ from curb) to the front of the building. They would work on 1 to 2 businesses at a time and the pedestrian traffic would be routed into the street along a designated pathway. Access to the business will be maintained and since the hook ups are within the buildings they will work directly with the businesses on access into the building. A short interruption of gas to the business may occur. Questar will work with the individual tenants and the anticipated disruption would be a few hours. This portion would take approximately 2 weeks. All trenches will be filled with temporary asphalt until the sidewalk is replaced.

Once Questar has completed the work on the east side between 4th Street and 5th Street, they plan to move to the second section on the west side of Main Street between 5th Street and the Claimjumper Hotel. The timing and work area described above would be the same for this section.

The businesses on the opposite side of the street will still operate off the old gas main. A parallel main will be installed on those sides the same season as improvement work is planned for sidewalks in those areas.